PIL on drought mitigation steps: Guj HC issues notice to Govt

Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court on Thursday issued notices to the state government and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) following a PIL seeking information on what measures have been taken to mitigate drought situation in Saurashtra and Ahmedabad.

A division bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice JB Pardiwala issued notices and asked state government and AMC to file their replies on affidavits within two weeks when further hearing will take place.

The PIL, filed by advocate KG Pandit, has sought instructions from the court to the authorities to properly utilise Rs 320 crore annual fund for water supply allocated by Central government.

It has also sought information on measures taken by the state and civic authorities for supplying water in the outskirts of Ahmedabad, which are minority-dominant areas and in those districts in Saurashtra region which are facing drought-like situation.

Pandit, in his petition, has claimed that, "there is no system of water supply and drainage line in the outskirts of Ahmedabad and every summer people living in these areas face grim water situation, despite the fact that the AMC levys taxes on residents of this area for providing these amenities."

"The AMC knowingly doesn`t supply water to these areas and if pressure is applied on the authorities through local councillors water will be supplied through tankers and that too twice or thrice in a week," he had alleged.

"The situation is same in Saurashtra region where people in districts like Amreli, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Rajkot are facing severe drinking water woes inspite of central government allocating Rs 320 crore annual fund for water supply," he claimed.